


all the time in forever

by artenon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragon Age Fusion, Established Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 02:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17778647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artenon/pseuds/artenon
Summary: A quiet night at the edge of camp and a shiny silver ring. And here Kei had thought he’d outgrown the idea of forever.





	all the time in forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kirinokisu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirinokisu/gifts).



> written for the kurotsuki discord server valentine's exchange!
> 
> happy valentine's day, ju!! when i saw dragon age au on your wishlist, i immediately knew what i had to write hehe. it's short, but i hope the sap is sufficient!! <3 <3

Kei ran his fingers over the silver ring. It glinted beautifully in the moonlight, untarnished despite how often he rubbed it and fiddled with it in his pocket.

The question that had been stuck in his chest for days—longer, if he was being honest—rose up in his throat until he threatened to choke on it. He wanted to say the words, let them linger in the open air, almost tangible in their weight. But there was only one reason why he should ask and so many why he shouldn’t. And what did it matter, in the end, when tomorrow wasn’t certain?

“Don’t wander off.”

Tetsurou’s voice was a warning for the hand that touched Kei’s shoulder. He didn’t flinch at it like he would have before, when he still lived at the Circle or was fresh out of it.

It was only in hindsight that Kei realized how much restraint Tetsurou had shown around him at first. Even after they’d started dating, Tetsurou had been careful about initiating any degree of physical contact with Kei despite his easy physical affection with everyone else. When Tetsurou finally started touching him without asking, a casual hand on his back or waist, Kei was relieved he’d done something right, that he’d been able to convey to Tetsurou that he felt comfortable around him.

That didn’t stop him from slamming his hand shut around the ring, though. Tetsurou would see that when Kei was ready for him to see it and not a moment before.

“You know it’s dangerous at night,” Tetsurou said.

Kei slipped the ring into the pocket of his robes and ran his thumb over it one more time. He turned to look at Tetsurou. “Standing at the edge of camp is hardly wandering off.” 

“Yeah, but I worry when you’re not close.”

Kei grimaced in the face of Tetsurou’s earnest honesty. He had to know, after all the pain on their journey so far, how much wholeheartedness could hurt.

The last thing Kei wanted was to be another reason Tetsurou was sad. Another name on the list of people he’d lost.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” Tetsurou said, misinterpreting Kei’s expression.

“I know you know.” He’d take Tetsurou thinking he’d offended Kei’s pride over the truth. “Sorry for worrying you.”

Tetsurou smiled, gentle and forgiving. He leaned in and Kei closed his eyes.

The kiss was everything soft about Tetsurou, everything Kei loved about him. He didn’t know how Tetsurou could remain so gentle in a world so cruel, and he loved it even as he feared it. He feared how easily that gentleness had drawn out the soft edges in Kei that he hadn’t thought he still possessed. And he feared that Tetsurou couldn’t make it through this journey without changing, without irreparably breaking his compassionate heart.

Kei knew exactly how Tetsurou would respond if he ever said any of this. He’d be optimistic. He’d say that love conquered all, and that everything would work out as long as they stood by each other, and Kei just wanted to shake his shoulders until he understood that it couldn’t be that simple.

But Tetsurou had a way of shutting those thoughts down without ever realizing that Kei was having them. Even now, he crowded in and wound his arms around Kei as he deepened the kiss. And Kei—Kei couldn’t resist. He loved Tetsurou, and he would take _for now_. He pressed his tongue against Tetsurou’s and moaned, and Tetsurou whimpered in response.

For now—right now—he wanted that to be enough.

But the ring weighing down his pocket betrayed that he wanted more.

They pulled apart with reluctance, and Kei suppressed a shiver when Tetsurou exhaled softly against his parted lips.

“So.” Tetsurou took a steadying breath. “What’cha thinking about?”

“How you must be glad I came out here after all, because I certainly wouldn’t let you kiss me like that in the middle of camp,” Kei said.

Tetsurou laughed. “Well, there’s always our tent.”

“Debatable,” Kei said. “Only if you promised to be good.”

Tetsurou saluted. “Oh, I’ll be good.”

He winked, over-the-top, and Kei sighed.

The first time they’d slept together, Kei hadn’t been prepared for how vocal Tetsurou would be. Kei had been a little… caught up in the events to be anything but turned on by it, but the next day, Bokuto loudly congratulated them on getting together and the others couldn’t quite look Kei in the eye. Worse, Bokuto started talking about _his_ sex life with Akaashi and Tetsurou had gotten curious about how big Bokuto’s qunari penis was.

They’d compared. Kei and Akaashi had opted out of the activity.

After that, it’d only been quiet sex when Kei was sure that the others were all asleep. Makeshift gags were occasionally involved. Even then, Kei couldn’t help but be paranoid that they would be caught in the act again.

“Don’t worry, I know you think I’m charming,” Tetsurou said. “Seriously, though, what’s got you brooding at the edge of camp?”

Kei didn’t think he was brooding. He was contemplating something deeply, but he was not brooding. He knew Tetsurou wouldn’t be fooled by his attempts at being pedantic, though. He’d call it out for the deflecting it was.

But this—

He reached back into his pocket and curled his forefinger in the ring.

This wasn’t something Kei wanted to say.

“The future,” he said, finally. A half-truth. “The battle.”

The Archdemon threatening the continent, with Tetsurou and Kei the only Wardens in Ferelden left to face it. A young warrior and a former city elf turned Circle mage, and a ragtag group of friends picked up throughout their journey. Old treaties and new allies.

Was it enough? Could it be enough?

“The nightmares are getting worse,” Tetsurou said.

Distended jaws, jagged teeth, breath of fire.

Patchy wings and spiked spine.

Death, death and terror.

Of course it wasn’t enough. How could they ever muster enough to defeat an Archdemon?

Kei clenched his teeth. “Yeah.”

Tetsurou pulled him into a hug. One arm bent against Kei’s back, the other hand tenderly settled on the nape of his neck.

“We’ll make it out okay.” Tetsurou’s voice was muffled against Kei; he could feel the vibrations of his voice, the brush of lips against his collar. “I promise.”

Tetsurou couldn’t guarantee that, of course. None of them could. They could all die tomorrow. Such an empty promise should have frustrated Kei, not filled him with desperate hope.

Kei closed his eyes and carded his fingers through Tetsurou’s hair, endlessly charmed by how soft it was. He could stroke it forever. More than once had Tetsurou fallen asleep curled up into Kei with Kei’s fingers tangled in his hair. Somehow, it was the simple moments like this, just holding each other, that overwhelmed him the most.

It always shocked Kei, in these moments, how intensely he was struck by the urge to never let go.

And here Kei had thought he’d outgrown the idea of forever.

“I don’t like making promises I can’t keep,” he said.

Tetsurou drew back. It was hard to make out his expression in the darkness, away from the campfire illuminating the camp, but Kei could see the seriousness in his furrowed brows.

“I know,” Tetsurou said. “I’m not asking anything of you.”

“You’re not, but I have something to give you anyway,” Kei said. He pulled the ring out of his pocket but kept it tight in his fist. The metal was warm in his grasp.

Tetsurou tilted his head, curious, but waited patiently as Kei closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

He took the ring between his fingers and held it up in front of Tetsurou’s face.

“I was hoping—well, would you accept this?”

Tetsurou’s jaw went slack. His hands came up, slow and trembling, to cup the hand proffering the ring.

“Is this… Does this mean what I think it means?”

“I don’t know,” Kei said with a little smirk. He should be serious, but the opportunity was too good to pass up, and maybe teasing would make the question easier. “After all, there are so many different ways to interpret your partner asking you to accept a ring.”

“Shut up,” Tetsurou said, but there was a hitch in his voice that meant he was dangerously close to crying, and Kei swallowed, playfulness evaporating.

“I don’t know what I can promise you,” he said, “except all of my tomorrows.”

Tetsurou’s exhale shook. “Of course,” he said. “Of course I accept.”

Kei took Tetsurou’s hand and slid the ring onto his finger. The moment it was on, Tetsurou surged forward and kissed him.

“I love you,” he said.

Kei closed his eyes. “I love you too.”

For as long as they could have this, for however many tomorrows they had left, Kei would love him.

Tetsurou squeezed him, then pulled back. When Kei opened his eyes, Tetsurou was gazing at the ring on his finger. “How long have you had this?”

Kei hesitated, afraid to reveal the truth but unwilling to lie. “Since Redcliffe.”

Tetsurou’s eyes widened as he realized that Kei had felt this way about him for so long—almost a year now. They’d barely admitted that they liked each other and Kei had gone and bought a ring. Tetsurou must think he was crazy; Kei thought so too, when his eyes kept catching on it, when he couldn’t stop imagining giving it to Tetsurou.

He hadn’t been picturing marriage then, not exactly. He was barely picturing that now. It wasn’t like they had time for any sort of proper ceremony. But he’d wanted to give it to Tetsurou anyway.

“Kei,” Tetsurou breathed.

“What?” It came out more defensive then Kei intended. He wasn’t expecting a _bad_ reaction, but he didn’t know what to expect at all, and that put him on edge.

“You too?”

Kei blinked. “What?”

“I loved you,” Tetsurou said, “long before I told you. I was so afraid you wouldn’t accept me, but now you’re telling me you’ve loved me for just as long, and that’s just…”

He trailed off, his eyes wet, his smile broad and heartfelt. Kei smiled back, shy and a little incredulous that Kuroo could feel the same.

“You make me so happy,” Tetsurou said.

He leaned in for another kiss, and Kei was more than willing to comply.

“Promise me forever,” Tetsurou said when they parted.

“I can’t,” Kei said.

“You can,” Tetsurou said. “The Archdemon, we’re going to kill it. We’re going to save Ferelden, save the continent. And then we’ll have forever, together.”

Somehow, when Tetsurou said it, Kei could believe it.

“Okay,” he said. “Forever.”

“I need to get you a ring,” Tetsurou said.

Tetsurou’s ring on Kei’s finger. The idea sent a thrill through him, but at the same time, he didn’t need it. Of course Tetsurou’s heart could withstand any misery even an Archdemon might wrought. He should never have believed otherwise. He didn’t need a ring to prove that.

But maybe Kei needed proof for himself. He took Tetsurou’s hand and looked at the ring there. He’d kept it close for so long, he almost missed its familiar weight in his pocket. But seeing it on Tetsurou’s finger, he knew that was where it belonged. That ring meant Kei wanted more than just _for now_. He wanted _forever_ , and he was going to fight until he got it.

He interlocked their fingers. “Take your time,” he said.

They’d have a lot of it, after all, when this was all over.

All the time in forever.

**Author's Note:**

> big thank yous to my betas, especially for helping me wrangle out that ending - [sarah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ailurea), [faia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faiasakura), and [cai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacktreecle)  
> and also thank you to [adri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xladysaya), who gave the (very) rough draft a read when i was freaking out about whether or not ju would even like this!!
> 
> happy valentine's day and thank you for reading! :D
> 
> / find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/qorktree) !


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